


Serious

by orphan_account



Series: The "Saw You Say It" 'verse [4]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: ASL, Cute, Deaf, Deaf Culture, Ficlet, Fluff, Gen, Sign Language, Small Talk, Sweet, bau, name sign, rossi is good, sign name, spencer calls hotch dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-06
Updated: 2015-02-06
Packaged: 2018-03-10 20:27:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3302423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spencer teaches David his name sign.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Serious

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies for any errors in sign accuracies: I used an online ASL teacher for descriptions. I am English so our signs over here are usually different. Please feel free to point out huge errors.

Rossi placed his hand lightly on Spencer's shoulder as he came up behind the doctor at his desk. Spencer looked around and quirked the left side of his cheek in a small smile. "The jet - it leaves in twenty minutes." David asked robotically. "Ready to go?" Spencer nodded and pointed to his bag at his feet. "Hotch wanted me to make sure." His words were punctuated, some accompanied with sloppy half accurate signs and some with 'universal sign language'. He tried, but failed miserably.

"Jet." Spencer spoke, the J somewhat omitted from the word. "Like this." He showed David a smooth airplane sign, like a 'rock on' gesture at his temple. Awkwardly, David repeated the sign, jabbing the correctly placed hand forwards twice at his temple. Spencer gave an encouraging nod. 

"I like that." David smirked, repeating the sign again. 

"Go." Spencer said, "Like this." He pointed both index fingers away from him, as if directing something away to his right. 

David repeated the gesture and pieced it together. "Go." He signed, "Jet." Spencer smiled, giving a thumbs up. "Can I ask you something?" David asked carefully, looking Spencer directly in the eyes.

Spencer nodded. 

"What does this mean?" Rossi asked and repeated a sign he'd seen Spencer use: he pointed his right middle and index finger in the sign for R, then brought his index finger to his chin and gave a firm expression. "I've seen you sign it before but it's also new. I can't work it out, to see a pattern to learn." He admitted.

Spencer smiled widely, "You." He spoke. "This is R." He made the R fingerspelling sign. "This is serious." He drew his index finger to his chin, palm facing inward. "Your name sign." 

"Serious?" Rossi shook his head, confused. 

Spencer signed as he spoke, losing grasp on some words verbally. "You are given a sign name by somebody deaf, usually a characteristic of you. JJ's sign name is the sign for beautiful, Derek's is the sign strong. My name was given to me by an interpreter in school - it means clever."

David gave a nod of understanding. "Serious." He repeated, signing the word. "Really?"

Spencer breathed a quiet laughed. "Stern." He signed. 

David shook his head at the sharpness if the sign and the expression that Spencer made with it. "I'll take serious!" He gave a light laugh. 

"Deaf culture is not as scary as you think." Spencer said slowing with his signs so David could watch them. "You learn more when you dive in." 

David smiled and looked almost apologetic for a moment. "Jet." He signed and tapped his watch. "We should go." He signed 'go'. Spencer got to his feet as Rossi turned away and picked up his bag from the floor. As he turned, David was in front of his again. "Hotch." He said. "What's his name sign?" 

Spencer hesitated a moment before offering a smooth gesture with his fingers extended as though he'd counted to five and tapped his thumb against his forehead. Rossi frowned, confused, and shook his head. Spencer just smiled, held the strap of his flight bag, and walked toward the doors as JJ and Emily walked out.


End file.
